Class of 1977

“Welcome, class of 1977! I am your new class correspondent, which means I am looking for stories from all of you on what you’ve been up to since we left campus all those years ago. Speaking of campus, it’s not too late to register for our 40th reunion in June (can you believe it?)! I can’t wait to see you all back on the Hill.” —May 15, 2017

James P. Brown BS, MAT ’77, August 3, 2017, age 75. After graduating from Lewis & Clark, Brown worked as a teacher and musician. Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Diane; sons Paul and Jon; and grandchildren.

Barb Bailey-Marold BS ’77 recently completed the certified level with the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators for the treatment of dyslexia. She is a self-employed reading therapist and enjoys traveling to warmer climes as much as possible.

Steven Mitchell Carpenter died July 16, 2016, after a short illness. He was 61 years old.

Steven was born April 8, 1955, in Miles City, Montana. He attended The Dalles High School in Oregon. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in French, he worked as the assistant regional director of public affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Portland. He then earned a JD, following which he worked in private practice, focusing on products liability and professional malpractice defense.

Steven joined the Professional Liability Fund (PLF) as a claims attorney in 2000. He spoke and wrote widely on lawyer liability issues, but will be most remembered for his compassion for lawyers facing malpractice claims. Throughout his professional career, Steven made many friends and enjoyed working with many wonderful colleagues.

A former member of the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Steven was an avid supporter of all the arts. His passions included cooking, traveling (especially to France), and his Dobermans.

Steven is survived by his parents, Don and Juanita Carpenter; his brothers, Mike and Lynn Carpenter; nephew Kyle Carpenter, with his wife Jennifer and their son Conley; nephew Cory Carpenter, with his wife Karyn; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as countless friends.

Constance “Connie” Emerson Crooker died April 10, 2015, at her home. She was 68 years old.

Connie was born July 23, 1946, in Portland, Maine, to Reverend Charles W. Crooker and Elizabeth (MacGregor) Crooker Bates. She earned a BA from Reed College.

Connie established a criminal defense practice focusing on the Hispanic community and led efforts in Oregon to professionalize the use of interpreters in the courts. She was also the first woman in Oregon to contract with the state to run a Public Defenders office, serving the community of Tillamook for many years.

Following her retirement Connie avidly pursued a wide array of interests, including skiing, hiking, camping, dancing, singing, and playing the guitar. She also relished traveling abroad and studying foreign languages. One of her passions was writing. Connie wrote and published several books, including Melanoma Mama: On Life, Death, and Tent Camping, in which she shared her experiences on a solo cross-country trip to celebrate her unexpected reprieve from ongoing cancer treatments, and Doc Jackson’s Letters Home: A Combat Medic’s 1968 Letters From Vietnam, which was released on April 30, 2015, the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam conflict.

Survivors include her three siblings and their spouses: Carol and Deane Farnsworth, Charles and Adrian Crooker, and Catherine Crooker and Griff O’Brien. Connie is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Was appointed to serve as chair of the Realtor Commercial Alliance of the Northern Virginia Association of in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Dillow serves as an adjunct fellow for the Discovery Institute’s technology and democracy project, and has a background that includes 25 years of service with Verizon Corporation, where he served for more than a decade as its vice president of federal government relations. A native Oregonian, Dillow served as assistant public utility commissioner for the State of Oregon during the administrations of Governors Tom McCall, Bob Straub, and Vic Atiyeh. He is also a former news reporter for The Oregonian.

Robin Gulde BS ’77 and Yoko Natori Gulde BS ’77 are both headed into the retirement phase of their lives. Yoko retired from her paralegal position at Lane Powell in January 2017. Robin sold his CPA practice, Gulde & Ortquist, but plans to stay on in an assistive capacity for the next few years. He will also be teaching at Concordia University in Portland. In retirement, they will be enjoying travel and spending time with their 3-year-old granddaughter, Emma.

Yoko Natori Gulde BS ’77 and Robin Gulde BS ’77 are both headed into the retirement phase of their lives. Yoko retired from her paralegal position at Lane Powell in January 2017. Robin sold his CPA practice, Gulde & Ortquist, but plans to stay on in an assistive capacity for the next few years. He will also be teaching at Concordia University in Portland. In retirement, they will be enjoying travel and spending time with their 3-year-old granddaughter, Emma.

Christy Hale BA ’77, MAT ’80 illustrated a children’s book about Ansel Adams, a restless boy who eventually became an iconic nature photographer.

Posted 05/15/2017

The Cambodian Dancer: Sophany’s Gift of Hope

Christy Hale BA ’77, MAT ’80 illustrated a children’s book about a Cambodian girl forced to leave her old world behind and find a new home in America. The book won a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Silver Medal in the multicultural nonfiction picture book category.

Retired and closed his law office. He practiced for 32 years before Washington County courts, and maintained offices in Beaverton and near Washington Square in Tigard. A solo practitioner, he emphasized business, real estate, and probate, but also practiced domestic relations, criminal defense, and juvenile law.

Was named “Lawyer of the Year” in health law in the 2017 issue of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in health care law. A shareholder at the Lansing, Michigan, firm of Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC, Kraus was also named in the 2016 issue of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine.

Was selected as one of four recipients of the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession’s 2017 Spirit of Excellence Award. Nagae practices at the Portland firm Peggy Nagae Consulting, which she founded in 1988. She also serves as program director for the Center for Asian Pacific American Women. Nagae has served as president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, vice-chair of the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity, president of the Asian Bar Association of Washington, and board member for Asian Americans Advancing Justice. She represented Minoru Yasui in his successful bid to reopen his World War II Japanese American curfew case and have his conviction vacated. In 2013, Nagae spearheaded Yasui’s successful nomination for a Presidential Medal of Freedom, which President Obama awarded posthumously in November 2015. In 2016, Nagae led the effort to create a permanent Minoru Yasui Day (March 28) in Oregon.

Was the chief defense attorney for the high-profile Portland trial of the Somali American accused of trying to ignite a weapon of mass destruction at the city’s 2010 holiday tree-lighting ceremony. Sady is the longest serving employee in the Oregon Federal Public Defender’s Office.

Was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers. Sand is a litigation partner at Miller Nash.

09/01/2014

Was elected to the board of directors for the Multnomah County Bar Association. An active member of the bar since 1977, Sand was president of the foundation arm of the organization in 2010. He is a litigation partner at Miller Nash.

Officially retired from his position as Lake County circuit court judge, but will likely continue to serve as a senior circuit court pro tem until Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber fills the vacancy. Simpson took office July 1, 1990, after 13 years in private practice. He grew up in Lakeview, Oregon, and graduated from Lakeview High School in 1969.